Roller leveler



May 22, 1934.

R. W. MOSES ROLLER LEVELER Filed June 2o, 1932 2 sheets-sheet 1 J m R o @m www mmm. W 0 III. l f ,f a u WM m NN 5MM H www www. mg. QN. w o w E, 0

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WITNESS L May 22, 1934. R, w. MOSES l ROLLER LEVELER Filed June 20, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 wnmess Patented May 22, `1934- UNITED STATES 'ROLLER LEVELER Richard W. Moses, Pittsburgh, Pa., assigner to United Engineering & Foundry Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 20, 1932, Serial No. 618,113 s Claims. (Cl. 15s-54) My invention pertains to roller levelers, that is to say, to apparatus in which` plates are straightened byA subjecting them to the action of two opposed sets of rollers, the rollers of the two sets being so disposed that the plate is forced into a wave shape in passing between them, successive portions of the plate being bent in one and then in the other direction.

To eiect the straightening of the plate, it is requisite that the metal thereof be exed, by the action of the rollers, beyond its elastic limit, so as actually to be bent first one way and then the other. Since the plates will vary in thickness as well as in the character of their constituent metal, the amount of flexing necessary to obtain the required bending effect will likewise vary. Provision can be made, to an extent, for this variation by making the opposed sets of rollers adjustable as to the distance which separates them, and this is the common practice, especially with roller levelers having a relatively large number of rollers. 'Ihe variation in the character of the plates could be accommodated better by adjusting, instead of, or/in addition to, the adjustment of the distance between the opposed sets of'rollers, the distances separating the individual rollers of each set. But this, with roller levelers employing a relatively large number of rollers as heretofore constructed, would be so tedious and diihcult a job as hardly to be practicable.

It is the principal objectof my invention to provide a roller leveler of a simple and economical construction and employing a relatively large number of rollers, in which the individual rollers of the two opposed sets can be adjusted, Aas regards the distances separating them, easily, quickly and with entire accuracy.

A roller leveler constructed in accordance with my invention is described by way of example in the ellowing specication and shown in the accompanying drawings. I wish it understood however that the invention may be embodied in other constructional forms, and that changes may be made in the form which has been selected for y description and illustration, without exceeding the scope thereof as dened in the appended claims. y

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating the action of a roller leveler of this type in straightening a plate;

Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of a roller leveler constructed in accordance with my invention, the section being taken on the line ll-II lof Fig. 3; and

Fig. 3 is an end. elevation partly in section taken on the line JIL-III of Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 1, a rollerlleveler of this type comprises an upper set'of rollers 10 and a lower set of rollers 11, the rollers of each set being usually but not necessarily spaced equidistantly apart, and the rollers of one set beingI centrally of the spaces between the rollers of the other set. In the gure in question only a few of these rollers are shown, but in practice a relav tively large number will generally be employed. The rollers are positively driven in any well 1 known manner that will admit of their adjusting movements,-such 'as by universal driving shafts or the like. 'Ihe two setsv of rollers are placed at such a distance apart that a plate, designated A, passed between them, will be bent, in successive portions, rst upwardly and then downwardly, in the manner shown. It will be apparent that the amount of flexing of the plate to obtain a given bending effect, can be varied by adjusting the distance, b, between the two ysets of rollers. The desired degree of-exing can,

however, be obtained better by adjusting instead, or in addition, the distance c which separates the individual rollers of each set. My invention is primarily concerened with the provision of a means for obtaining the last-named adjustment readily.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, the roller lev- 85 eler therein shown comprises a pair of longitudinal base members 12, each formed with rails 12a upon which are slidably mounted bearing blocks 13 for the necks, 11a, of six rollers 11 spaced equidistantly apart. Disposed above the base members 11 are a pair of longitudinal supports 14, each formed with guideways 15 for slidably supporting the bearings 16 for the necks 10a of seven rollers 10, these rollers being sep arated by a distance equal to that which separates the rollers 11v of the lower set. The supports 14 are mounted at their. ends for vertical movement upon standards 17 which are threaded into the base members 12, the supports being sustained by helical springs 18 disposed between 100 them and the base members. By screwing the standards 17 into or out of the base members the distance between the two 'sets of rollers can be adjusted, and the adjustment, if desired, can be made so that the two sets of rollers are closer together at the end vat which plates enter than at the other end, whereby the flexing is made to decrease as the plate passes throughthe leveler.

Shafts 19 are mounted in suitable bearings, 11

,f center portions 19a of and have threaded portions 19b, 19c and engaging in nuts 21 which are carried by all of of adjustments which are easily, I

accuratelyperformed, can be made to operate 20, in the guideways of the support members 14, 19d

the bearings 16, except the bearings for the center roller. The bearings for the center roller, which always occupies the same position, are merely provided with sleeves, 22, in which the the shafts 19 can rotate freely. The pitch of the threaded portions of the shafts 19 is progressively greater from the ,center outwards, being such that when the shaft 19 is rotated the rollers 10 on each side of the center roller will be moved, towards or from the center roller, a given distance, the next pair of rollers twice that distance, and the outermost pair of rollers three times that distance. To that end, the pitch' of the threaded portions 19c is twice, and of the threaded portions 19d three times, that of the threaded portions 19h. In these circumstances, rotation of the shaft 19 will either spread or bring together the rollers 10, while maintaining the equidistant relation between such rollers. The rotation of the shafts is effected by means of a transverse shaft 23 having Worm and wheel connection with the shafts 19, andadapted to be operated by a handwheel 24.

In the rails 12a of the base members 12 are rotatably mounted' shafts 25 having threaded portions 25h, 25e and 25d/which engage nuts 26 carried by the bearings 13. The construction is similar to that employed for the upper rollers, except that there is no stationary center roller. The shafts 25 are rotated by means of a transverse shaft 27, similar to the shaft 23 and operatedby means of `a hand-wheel 28. 'I'he pitch of the threaded portions 25e is three times, and of the threaded portions 25d live times, that of the middle threaded portions 25b. Under these conditions, the rotation of the shafts 25 4to ka proper extent will keep the rollers of the lower set spaced centrally between the rollers of the upper set.

The shafts 23 and 27 may be independent, in which case it is desirableto provide index means by means of which the operator can read the extent to which he has moved the rollers, and thereby be able to maintain, during the adjustment, the proper position of set with respect to the rollers of the other set. Or, the shafts 23 and 27 may be connected by a chain 29 passing over sprockets on the shafts.-

If, as shown, the gear relation between the shafts 23 and 27 is one to two, the pitch of the middle threaded portions 19h of the shafts 19 and of the middle threaded portions 25a of the shafts 25 would be the same. Withthe shafts geared for equal rotation, the pitch of the middle threaded portions 25a of the shafts 25 would be one-half that of the middle threaded portions .19h of the 'shaft 19.

- When the leveler is to be adjusted for a new character of plate to be straightened, all that is necessary is for the operator to manipulate the shafts 23 and 27,-or, if these shaftsare geared together, to manipulate one of them-in such manner as to spread the rollers or bring them together in such a way as to produce the best results in straightening the particular character of plate being handled. An adjustment, also, of

the distance between thesets of rollers can be threaded standards 17, if that the leveler, by means .quickly and made by means of the desired. 'I'he result is the rollers of one to a given point and at its highest degree of Ieiliciency upon plates of widely varying characters.

While I have shown and described, by way of example, a roller leveler in which the rollers are equidistant from each other, it will be appreciated that my invention is adapted for use in connection with levelers in which the rollers are otherwise spaced since any desired spacing may be secured or maintained by suitably relating the pitches lof the several screw threads.

I claim:

l. A roller leveler comprising a series of rollers arranged in train, a second series of rollers arranged in train and disposed opposite the first series in staggered relation therewith, said rollers being arranged to successively engage sheet metal passing between the first and the second series thereof, and means for simultaneously moving the rollers of both of said series in the direction of the trains to vary the distances between the axes of the rollers of the leveler, whereby said distances ca n be adjusted during the operation of the leveler.

2. A roller leveler including two opposed series of rollers,vone of said series comprising a roller, l a second roller disposed in train therewith, and

means for moving said first-named roller transverse to its axis in the line of the train and with respect to a given point Iand simultaneously moving said second-named roller transverse to its axis 1 in the line of the train, said means being constituted so that during movement of said first and second-named rollers the distance therebetween is maintained equal to the distance between said first-named roller and said point. l

3. A roller leveler including two opposed series of rollers, the rollers of each series being arranged in train and equidistantly between the rollers of the opposite series, a mechanism for simultaneously moving the rollers of one series transversely 1; of their axes through distances having the ratio 1, 2, 3, and a mechanism for simultaneously moving the rollers of the other series transversely of their axes through distances having the ratio 1, 3, 5.

4. A roller leveler including two opposed series of rollers, the rollers of each series being arranged for successively engaging sheet metal passing between said serie one of said series comprising a roller, a mounting therefor, "a second roller dis- 12 posed in train with said first-named roller, a mounting for said second-named roller, and means for moving said first-named roller transverse to its axis in the line of the train and with respect simultaneously moving said 13 second-named roller transverse to its axis in the line of the train, said means including two members each having a screw-thread connection with one of said mountings, the pitch of the screw threads of one member4 being such with respect 13; to those of the other member that during movement of said first and second-named rollers the distance therebetween is maintained equal to the distance between said first-named roller and said point. X 14,(

5. A roller leveler comprising two opposed series of rollers, the rollers of each series being arranged intrain for successive engagement by sheet metal passing through the leveler, and equidistantly between the rollers of the opposite series, mountings -for the rollers of one series, means for moving rollers of theother series, and means for moving the second-named series of rollers, said means comprising members threaded into said mountings and having the pitch of the threads thereof in the ratio of 1, 3, 5.

6. A roller leveler comprising a series of rollers arranged in train, a, second series of rollers arranged in train and disposed opposite the first series in staggered relation thereto, said rollers being adapted to successively engage sheet metal passing between the first and second series therebeing adapted to successively engage sheet metal passing betwee the tirst and second series thereof, and means operable during the operation of said leveler for simultaneously moving rollers of" y each of said series in the direction of the train through distances of progressively varying lengths to vary tha distances between the axes of the rollers of said'seres.

8. A roller leveler comprising a series of rollers arranged in train, a second series of rollers ar ranged in train and disposed opposite the first series in staggered relation thereto, said rollers lbeing adapted to successively engage sheet metal passing between the rst and second series thereof, and means operable during the operation of said leveler for simultaneously moving rollers of both of said series in the direction of the train through distances of progressively varying lengths to vary the distances between the axis of the rollers of the leveler. l v

- RICHARD W. MOSES. 

